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Barry Sanders said it again. He is done as an NFL player.
The former Detroit Lions running back spoke briefly Friday night
with a reporter from The Oakland Press of Pontiac, Mich. "That is
it. I am done," Sanders said in the driveway of his home in
Rochester Hills. He arrived at his home in a sports utility
vehicle at about halftime of his former team's first exhibition
game against Atlanta. Sanders said he had nothing to say to his
fans, his team or the Detroit Lions organization. "I am sorry,
but I just can't talk about this," he said. Earlier Friday,
Sanders told a team official he won't reconsider his decision to
retire, the Detroit Free Press reported. "He said he gave it a
lot of thought and he wants to go out on top," Lions security
director Allen "Jocko" Hughes said.
Hughes is also a family friend who has been staying with Sanders'
father, William, in Wichita, Kan., while the team has been trying
to contact the running back. "He said, 'I've got my health and
I've got my strength. If I want to do something else, I can. I
didn't get injured and I've been playing football for 22 years,'"
Hughes said. Sanders, 31, had announced his retirement through an
internet statement late last month and had not talked to any team
official before speaking with Hughes on Friday. There was no
answer late Friday at William Sanders' home and a telephone
message left earlier in the night was not returned. Hughes
relayed the message to Lions vice chairman William Ford Clay and
chief operating officer Chuck Schmidt, according to the Free
Press. Lions officials were in Atlanta at the team's 35-31 loss
to the Falcons and could not be reached for comment.
Chargers' Jones to be sidelined at least eight weeks.
San Diego Chargers wide receiver Charlie Jones will likely
be sidelined at least eight weeks after dislocating his left hip
in Thursday's exhibition loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The
initial prognosis during the game called for Jones to miss six
weeks, but a small fracture in the hip joint was discovered in an
MRI on Friday, adding another two weeks to the recovery time,
according to trainer James Collins. Jones may need to have a
screw placed in the joint to stabilize it, depending on the
outcome of more testing, Collins said. The injury occurred in the
second quarter of the 31-24 loss. Jones, who was returning a
punt, had one knee on the ground when he was hit from behind. "It
takes a major force to get that joint out of the socket," said
Collins, calling it a freak injury. "That's the strongest joint
in the body."
Jones, who had a team-high 699 yards on 46 catches last season,
was making his only scheduled punt return of the game. "This is
very disappointing as far as helping Charlie come alive in the
offense," Chargers coach Mike Riley said. "He missed some time in
(offseason) mini-camp due to injury. We have an idea what
(others) can do. But we're finding that out about Charlie. We
know he's a playmaker who has a lot of ability." Riley noted that
Jones still fits in San Diego's plans as a punt returner, despite
his injury. It's a role that the fourth-year pro has hoped to add
this season. "Our plan for him is that he can make that big play
for us as a returner, but we still will not use him as a
full-time returner," Riley said. "If it's a good return
situation, we'll stick him in there."
Steelers gain TD via new instant replay system.
The Pittsburgh Steelers used instant replay to gain a
touchdown in Friday's 30-23 exhibition win against Chicago when
coach Bill Cowher successfully challenged an out-of-bounds call
on an end zone fumble. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala of the Steelers
blocked Todd Sauerbrun's punt into the Bears' end zone, where
Hines Ward fell on the ball just before it reached the end line.
The officials initially ruled that Ward slid out of bounds as he
recovered the ball for a safety. Referee Johnny Grier reversed
the call after watching a replay on a TV monitor set up behind
the Steelers' bench. Rather than leading 9-7, the Steelers went
ahead 14-7 with 3:51 left in the first quarter.
Instant replay returned to the NFL in March with a system that
allows coaches to challenge two calls per game. Replay was in
effect from 1986 until 1991, but was voted out in 1992, in large
part because it was delaying games. The old system used a replay
official who could stop the game on a questionable call and make
the decision. In the new system, the replay official can
challenge calls only in the final two minutes of each half and in
overtime. The plays covered by replay are like those in the old
system -- goal-line and sideline plays and possession -- and do
not apply to penalties.
Bledsoe leaves game with twisted ankle.
New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe twisted his
right ankle in Friday night's 20-14 exhibition loss against the
Washington Redskins and left after one quarter. It was not clear
if Bledsoe would have played any longer if he had not been
injured. His last pass was an interception that rookie cornerback
Champ Bailey returned 46 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0. In
all, Bledsoe was 7-of-10 for 87 yards and the interception. John
Friesz took over at quarterback beginning with the third series,
and Bledsoe spent most of the second quarter on the sideline with
ice taped around his ankle. He ran off the field at halftime but
with a definite limp, and in the second half, he was in street
clothes. "I just rolled it a little bit. I don't foresee it being
a problem," he said. "If it's the regular season, I stay in."
Friesz was 10-for-20 for 105 yards.
Eagles' Reid gets rude initiation to Philadelphia.
It was quite an initiation to Philadelphia for Andy Reid.
Directly across the field from the Eagles' new coach was this
opening salvo from Sign Man: "We're a tough town. Be a tough
coach." Boos rained down from the blue seats at the Vet at the
slightest provocation -- and there were many of those. Neither
the coach nor the town could have been pleased that the new
Eagles looked a lot like the old ones. The Reid Regime is only 60
football minutes old, and already the vultures are circling. "I
told the players, there's no reason to hold your head down," Reid
said after the Eagles lost 10-7 to the Baltimore Ravens Thursday
night in his coaching debut. "You are not the same old Eagles.
You may hear that, but you don't take it to heart. You are not
the same old Eagles."
The media took its shots too. No, this isn't Green Bay, in terms
of football quality or patience. Nonetheless, Reid was steadfast
in his optimism. "We wanted to come in and generate something
offensively," said Reid. "On the other hand, I did expect that
having as many news faces as we do that it's going to take time."
Time. Something Bobby Hoying, Rodney Peete and Koy Detmer didn't
have in the pocket last year. Something starter Doug Pederson,
presumed savior Donovan McNabb and clipboard-carrying hopefuls
Detmer and Hoying didn't have much of Thursday night. Pederson,
brought to Philadelphia by Reid to be the starter until McNabb is
ready, was 4-of-10 for 26 yards and failed to move the team past
midfield.
Kitna has quarterback job in Seattle.
Warren Moon and John Friesz are gone. All the pressure is
on Jon Kitna now. Kitna, who has six career starts in the NFL,
will be the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks this
season under new coach Mike Holmgren. "He's the quarterback of
this team," Holmgren said Tuesday. "I'll put the pressure on him
and he'll put a lot of pressure on himself." Holmgren had Brett
Favre at Green Bay and the quarterback led the Packers to two
Super Bowls. The 26-year-old Kitna is no Favre, but he showed
enough potential for Holmgren, who got the Seahawks' job in
January, to release Moon and Friesz. Holmgren traded for Glenn
Foley and drafted Brock Huard, but Kitna is Holmgren's top
passer. "He's doing the right things and that's a huge step,"
Holmgren said after practice Tuesday morning. "He's grasping the
offense pretty well."
Kitna should improve with experience. His confidence has grown
with Holmgren, who has helped developed Favre, Steve Young, Mark
Brunell, Ty Detmer and Doug Pederson into starting NFL
quarterbacks. But Kitna already disagrees with Holmgren on one
topic. "I don't think you feel pressure," he said. "I think
pressure comes when you didn't prepare yourself. As long as
you're prepared, I don't think you start feeling much pressure."
Former Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson decided to get a good look
at Kitna and started him the final five games last season.
Seattle won three of the five and Kitna was named AFC Offensive
Player of the Week after a 298-yard passing performance against
Tennessee. He passed for 1,177 yards and seven touchdowns. The
Seahawks signed Kitna as an undrafted free agent in April 1996
and sent him to play a season in Europe in the World League.
Leaf is optimistic about mid-season return.
Although the medical prognosis suggests otherwise, injured
quarterback Ryan Leaf said Tuesday he hopes to return to play for
the San Diego Chargers by mid-season. Leaf, the second overall
pick in the 1998 draft, was back at the Chargers' training camp
for a second day as he recovers from the shoulder injury that was
expected to sideline him for perhaps the entire season. "I hope
because I'm younger and maybe will heal a little faster, maybe by
Week 8 or Week 9," Leaf, 23, said. "There's a possibility that I
can be back out there and play." Leaf, who lost his starting job
last season because of disappointing play, rejoined the Chargers
on Monday without wearing the sling that had been necessary since
he underwent surgery two weeks earlier. His return coincided with
the club resuming practice following a week in Australia that
culminated with a 20-17 exhibition loss to Denver.
"If I'm going to play this year, it's important that I push,"
Leaf said. "But I don't want to push it too bad to the point that
I hurt it again when I get back out there. It's important that we
be aggressive but be smart with it." As evidence of his
rehabilitation, Leaf wore an ice pack on his right shoulder
during Tuesday's lunch break. During practice, he was restricted
to observing. "I'm out here for practice so that I can get all of
the mental repetitions as well," Leaf said. "The only thing that
I won't get is physical reps but those will come in time. It's
been tough sitting out. I had trouble watching the game,
honestly." Chargers coach Mike Riley praised Leaf for wanting to
defy the medical predictions, which had said it would take him
three to four months for recovery. "Guys need to have that kind
of attitude going through rehab," Riley said.
Preseason Results.
SATURDAY'S GAMES.
Cleveland 3 v Tampa Bay 30
NY Jets 16 v Green Bay 27
Cincinnati 17 v Indianapolis 20
Denver 38 v Arizona 7
Buffalo 24 v Seattle 10
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